Charities
Charities that have helped me, or that I have worked with, supported,
or that I admire, and that I commend to you for support
Aspire Ireland
The Asperger Syndrome Association of Ireland supports people with Asperger Syndrome (AS) to lead full and independent lives. Aspire was established by a small number of parents in 1995 to provide support for those with the syndrome and their families, and to encourage and undertake research into the condition.
Debra Ireland
DEBRA Ireland was established in 1988 by families gathered around a kitchen table, to give EB sufferers and their families somewhere to turn for support. Since then, services have improved but there is still a lot to be done. DEBRA Ireland is a family and patient led organisation to do all it can for people in Ireland living with EB. Epidermolysis bullosa is a skin disorder, described by a consultant at the National Children's Hospital as "easily the most debilitating and devastating disease I have ever seen". It is currently incurable.
ISPCC / Childline
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is Ireland’s oldest and most well-known children’s charity. It receives no government funding. It operates the Childline phone response service 24/7. In the 1990s, I was able to help ISPCC with some technology assistance and learned about the value of their work.
Childvision
St. Joseph's School for vision-impaired children in Dublin had the dubious pleasure of my presence from age 9 until I completed the State exams at 17, going on to study at Trinity. I'm vision impaired, and these good people played a major role in enabling me to overpower my disability and achieve.
Irish Red Cross
Being a bit safety-conscious, I have undertaken some basic first-aid training with the Irish Red Cross. They are affiliated with the International Red Cross and are an official part of Ireland's national disaster response planning. Almost entirely a volunteer force of highly committed, highly trained people.
St. Francis Hospice, Dublin
St. Francis Hospice provides in-patient support for terminally ill cancer and motor-neuron disease sufferers, and their families. What this actually means is an island of highly professional, highly thoughtful professionalism and humanity to people approaching the end of their lives.